Shot-tracking technology company Arccos Golf has released the latest edition of its annual Driving Distance Report, offering a detailed snapshot of how far amateur golfers really hit the ball — and the results may surprise plenty of weekend players.

Now in its eighth year, the 2026 report draws on data from more than five million rounds played during 2025 and analyses nearly 10 million driver tee shots. It also forms part of a much larger database built by Arccos, which now includes more than 1.5 billion shots recorded across 25 million rounds in over 160 countries.

One of the clearest takeaways is that amateur driving distance has barely changed over the last eight years. According to the report, average driving distance for male golfers has shifted by less than one yard since 2018, while women’s average distances remain within four yards of their original benchmark.

For golfers convinced that everyone is suddenly bombing it miles farther than before, the numbers suggest otherwise.

Where the report becomes especially interesting is in what happens after the drive.

Among lower-handicap players — those playing off scratch to 4.9 — 88 per cent of driver tee shots stay in play. But as handicaps rise, the cost of inaccuracy grows sharply. Golfers with handicaps of 30 or more find themselves in a penalty or recovery situation on 45% of all drives. In simple terms, nearly half of their tee shots immediately create trouble.

The data also challenges a common assumption about age. Younger golfers may hit it farther, but older golfers tend to hit it straighter. Fairway hit percentages rise steadily over time, improving by 18 percentage points for men and 17 for women between their 20s and 70s.

Perhaps more significant is the finding that skill level matters more than age when it comes to distance. Among men, there is a striking 63-yard gap in average driving distance between elite amateurs and players with handicaps above 30. A similar pattern appears in the women’s game too.

The report also highlights the role of playing conditions. At elevations above 5,000 feet, a 10-handicap golfer gains an average of 19.2 yards off the tee compared with sea-level golf.

“Better data leads to better decisions, in every part of the game,” said Sal Syed, CEO of Arccos, which produces a range of shot-tracking devices, including the new Arccos Air. “Our goal is to make sure golfers, coaches, and the industry as a whole have elite-level intelligence on how golf is actually played. That’s what eight years of real-world data, at this scale, makes possible.”

You can read the full Driving Distance Report report for free at https://bit.ly/4n9dd93